Are Anger Management Exercises Any Use To You?

Each of us has lost our temper at some time or the other, andnone of us fail to regret that anger, which seems uncontrollableat the time. Whether it’s a momentary loss of control or aintense, long-lasting surge of emotion, anger can be verydamaging – to relationships, at work and to yourself. It may notbe healthy to suppress it, but we can’t let it looseindiscriminately, either.
It is important to know how to handle anger. There are ways tocontrol, even channelize emotions, and in the case of anger,such methods are particularly well worth studying andimplementing. Here are some useful anger management exercises.
The most common method of easing anger is relaxation.Deliberately making yourself relax in a tense situation cansoothe rage and make things better. There are many relaxationtechniques, including deep breathing, repetition of a word ormantra, visualizing calming images, or slow exercise like yogaor tai-chi.
Another way is to replace angry thoughts with calm ones – thisis called cognitive restructuring and can be very useful inreducing anger. Try to be logical and aware that things can’t goyour way all the time.
When anger is because of specific circumstances, try to solvethe underlying problem, thus removing your reason for anger.Don’t give in to frustration though, if the solution is notreadily apparent, or non-existent – facing the situation coollywill calm you down, too.
Be careful about communication when you’re angry – think beforeyou speak, to avoid misunderstandings; and listen carefully tothe person you’re talking to without leaping to conclusions. Tryto hear what the person is really saying rather than gettingoffended by imagined slights.
Another anger management exercise is to train your mind toremember to maintain your sense of humor. It’s hard to be angryand amused at the same time, so look for the funny side ofthings – there’s usually one! This doesn’t mean you should laughoff problems; it’s just that humor gives perspective to the mostemotionally fraught situation and dissipates anger as nothingelse can.
Other anger management exercises include changing timings oryour surroundings to give ourselves a break from routinepressures, avoiding the situation till you are calmer, andfinding alternatives that will not cause anger.
Let’s look at some more anger management exercises. One methodof dealing with anger is to control it at three stages: beforeit happens (by understanding and preventing it throughrelaxation and other methods); during anger itself (bywithdrawing from the situation or looking at the lighter side ofit); and after anger (by making sure the anger is released anddissipated and by analyzing the reasons of your angercarefully). Sincere apology to those you may have hurt oroffended is an important component here.
Try this anger management exercise: ask yourself some questionswhich will help you understand and manage your anger. Does angersolve anything, really? Doesn’t it make situations worse? Whatis making you angry and how can you express it without hurtingother people? Is it possible for you to channelize your angerinto something productive?
When you are able to address these issues, you’ll find thestarting point of effective anger management.
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